Best of Honolulu 2011: Fitness

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Cyclocross won editor's pick for best new sport.

Photo: Elyse Butler and Matt Mallams

Editor's Picks

New Sport

Run for endurance. Practice yoga for relaxation. Do pilates for flexibility. And to kick ass? We vote for cyclocross. A mix of riding, running and obstacle course, this sport is for people who don’t mind getting a little dirty. Routes are off-road and involve plenty of mud and sand. At points along the course, you’ve got to dismount your bicycle and carry it to avoid obstacles and scale steep inclines. The new season won’t start on Oahu until the fall; since it’s so new, the best way to get the skinny on the 2011 season is to stop by your neighborhood bike store and ask for a race schedule, pick up a copy of Hawaii Sport Magazine or e-mail cxhawaii@gmail.com.

Clay Court to Practice your Backhand

Looking for a great court to take your game up a notch, or just a different surface on which to play? The Waikiki Tennis Club has taken two of its dilapidated courts and replaced them with Hawaii’s only public clay surface. “It’s not true French clay, but synthetic,” says director of marketing and communications for the USTA Hawaii Pacific Section, Melissa Pampulov. “Clay is a little more forgiving on the joints and the game pace is a little slower,” she says. The courts can be rented for $20 an hour, and appointments can be made online. 2490 Kalakaua Ave., 206-6735, thewaikikitennisclub.com.

Surfboard Shaper

Over the past 26 years, Wade Tokoro has made boards for a who’s who of surfing, including Sunny Garcia, Andy and Bruce Irons, Jamie O’Brien, Mick Fanning and Mark Occhilupo. While his operation is decidedly low-key—he works out of a few small rooms in the back of his family’s rural Kaneohe property—his approach is as high tech as it gets. Tokoro plugs precise measurements for each board into a computer design software program called Aku Shaper, which calibrates the machine that does the actual shaping. He tweaks his designs with feedback from team riders and with his own research and development. “I take the boards out. I get up at 4 or 5 a.m. every day and surf for an hour,” he says. “Yesterday, I surfed with Sunny [Garcia]. Feedback is crucial. It’s how we improve.” Tokoro’s boards run $600 to $800, a small price to pay for pure fun. 239-6263, tokorosurfboards.com.

Trendy Workout

Volcanic Rock Gym will have you climbing the walls and burning major calories at Oahu’s only indoor climbing facility. Don’t know a bouldering problem from a top-rope route? No worries, owner Justin Ridgely will hook you up with private lessons and a schedule of clinics. Experienced climbers will be challenged by the gym’s alternative rating system, designed to take seasoned climbers out of their comfort zones. At about $20 for a day pass and use of all the equipment you’ll need, it’s worth a try for anyone who’s curious. 94-423 Ukee St., Waipio, 397-0095, volcanicrockgym.com.